The Science of Data Recovery by "Mr. Stack

The Science of DATA Recovery Hosted by "Mr. Stack"

Can we recover that which is lost? Can data which is written to disk be relegated to the ashes of time? Scientists in Burbank, California** believe they have the answer. Using advanced forensic equipment, Doctors Joseph Mandale* and Zacariah Zamprini* have conducted extensive experiments to find out. When data is written to disk, it is recorded via electromagnetic pulses from the drive head. These in turn conduct just enough electricity to write the data.

"We believe we have an answer to the age old question,'Where does my data go?'" says Mandale. "When data is erased, the magnetic field that holds it in place is reversed, freeing the data from the disk."

But is the data lost forever? Doctor Zamprini tested his theory using state-of-the-art laser equipment from Cal Tech. With each successive pulse, microbursts of electricity eradicated the data at the subatomic level, thereby releasing it into the ethers of time.

"The data is...released at the subatomic level," says Zamprini. "It's like taking two sets of balls, spheres, and pulling them apart like you would separate cotton from a gin."

What methods could someone use to recover such data? Is it economically possible to recover it? And if so, how is it done? Once again, Doctors Mandale and Zamprini believe they have the answer.

"When we recover data, we use reverse engineering to determine...at the smallest level...what existed before," explains Mandale. "We use computer models and statistics to deduce the atomic structure of the magnetic field. Once we do that, we can begin to reconstruct the bits of data that were once there."

Doctor Zamprini agrees.

"You really can't erase anything forever," he answers. "Vestiges of the prior data will always remain. You just have to dig deep enough to find it."

Not surprisingly, Doctors Mandale and Zambrini have many skeptics in the scientific community. At CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, skepticism abounds.

Walter Jacobs* is a retired magician and activist of a foundation in Florida dedicated to debunking pseudoscience. Jacobs insists that such recovery would be practically impossible without the aide of the federal government.

"It's simply not true," insists Jacobs. "The notion that you can recover data, at the subatomic level, is preposterous. Absolutely nonsense."

But Doctors Mandale and Zamprini remain unfazed by criticism.

"They've never been in the labs...they've never seen the equipment. They don't know what we can do," claims Zambrini. "It's like walking into outer space without first being there. You can't get a sense of the enormity of the universe without first experiencing it."

What happens to computer data after it has been erased? Is it gone forever, as some have claimed? Or, is it possible that Doctors Mandale and Zamprini have found the answer? One thing is certain, however: Humans have been preserving history for centuries. Like cherished memories of a forgotten past, we will continue to remember our lives even after we die."

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* - not their real names. ** - not the real place.